Hidden Bars has always been an important story for me as a fanfiction writer.
I started the first version of this story in January 2002 when I was really expanding my abilities as a writer. This was the first story that I have written that had a deep, emotional back-story and a deep character development. It was the first story that I ever introduced an OC character and world apart from using the Dragonball Z universe.
The first version of this story, from what I could remember, is a totally different story then this version of Hidden Bars. I let the first version fall to the waste side, which is a horrible thing to do as a fanfiction writer. I know there are so many stories I have read and been invested in, just to see it be forever untouched. I always felt bad for letting that happen to Hidden Bars, that is why I made this version, a new Hidden Bars so I would be able to one day complete it.
The last time I updated this story was back in April 2012.
I actually have to thank Dratias for making me remember this story. Your review made me remember that I left this story for so long. Which in a silly way has always bothered me that I left this story that I spent so many years of my life unfinished. So, this chapter is for you! Thank you for your review.
I haven't touched this story in so long, and I had to re-read it to know where I left off. I wasn't really happy with my writing style back then, so I am hoping you like my style now, since I hope I have improved in the last three years. I am not really as serious about fanfiction as I use to be.
I do have two active stories at the moment "We'll Get Though It" which is a family based story about the Sons after Gokuu comes back from space and the three years before the Androids come, and then a cross-over of DBZ and Fullmetal Alchemist called "The Pure Soul."
I use Fanfiction as a way to practice my writing, to improve my long-story format since I mainly just write screenplays now. It's a nice way to keep my writing fresh.
Anyway, enough talking! I wanted to make sure to give all my followers (if there are any left) the best ending I possibly could for this story, I didn't want to just end it quickly and without answers, but please remember its been three years since I have touched this piece. I feel like today is a personal victory for me, this story has been 13 years in the making. So please, enjoy.
I do not own Dragonball Z.
Hidden Bars
Feel
- Son Akito
Earth
In a blink of an eye, everything returned to normal.
Gokuu could feel his palm on Piccolo's back, he could feel the Namek's breathing, inhaling and exhausting rapidly. The unspoken change of energy around them felt like a huge weight on their shoulders.
They finally found Gohan.
Gokuu looked over and catch the Namek's eyes.
"Was that real?" The saiyan breathed out.
Piccolo nodded, "It was like the same thing with your youngest son," Piccolo stood straight as Gokuu brought his hand back to his side. The Namek turned completely around to face the saiyan, "Although this encounter was slightly different then before."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when Goten talked to him, it seemed like a peaceful meeting. This one, on the other hand, appears to be in the middle of a nightmare," Piccolo talked through his thoughts, "For some reason we can only contact Gohan while he is dreaming. If we can contact him before a nightmare starts, you might be able to have an actual conversation with him."
"You said you have been trying to contact Gohan since the time with you and Goten," Gokuu titled his head, "And you haven't had any luck?"
Piccolo shook his head, "I am not sure why I cannot reach him alone, maybe its my connection with him during our training before and your bloodline is the only reason we might be able to reach him. I am not sure. All I know is that we must try this again."
Gokuu nodded, "We're getting close."
Both saiyan and Namek turned towards the stars. A new determination settling on Gokuu's face, "I promise you son, I will get you back. No matter what."
A knock broke Gohan out of his thoughts.
"Time to get up," Hazuki shouted at the other end of the door.
"Coming," Gohan answered back, sitting up from his bed and gathering his boots from the floor, he never had a chance to change his clothes from the night before.
He instantly remembered about AJ. He thought about her body pressed against him, his arms wrapped around her small frame. Their bodies felt like puzzle pieces next to one another, each limb perfectly fit into each other. He had never felt so warm in his life.
He never knew his twisted life was even allowed to feel such warmth.
Gohan opened his door, he stepped out, his eyes catching onto Hazuki as he looked the young teenager up and down, "You are wearing the same thing as yesterday."
"Oh, yeah, sorry." Was all the guardian said, closing the door behind him.
"Well, lets hope no one else will notice," Hazuki started to walk, the saiyan trailed behind him, "I got orders from the King's guards stating that they will be protecting Princess AJ this morning."
"Oh," was Gohan could say. He knew that he had not been around the kingdom for long, but something felt strange about this.
"So I figured we'll do something else while we wait for her."
"What do you have in mind?"
Hazuki didn't answer back.
Something in the air told Gohan that he wasn't going to like the answer.
Eva had ran into AJ's room this morning telling her that her father wanted to see her. This wouldn't have surprised the Princess if it weren't for a school day; her father had always told her that school was important to help her become Queen. Her father had never allowed her to miss class before.
She knew this had to be important.
"Princess," Eva grabbed the Princess' clothes, setting them on the foot of the bed as AJ began to sit up, "Your father told you to come alone. Hazuki and Gohan are going to train while you're with your father. We will come get you—"
"Train?" AJ fully sat up on her bed, kicking the sheets and clothes off her bed, "Eva, Gohan can't train!"
"Really?" Eva titled her head, "He said that Gohan would—"
"No, this is an order!" AJ grabbed her friend by the shoulders, "He could seriously hurt Hazuki. I have to stop them."
AJ pushed Eva to the side, ready to walk out of her door and run after Gohan when her friend stopped her. AJ looked back at Eva, "What? I have to stop them."
"Princess," Eva tighten her grip around AJ's wrist, "I can't allow you to go to them. I'll go and stop them, but your father is expecting you. Get dressed and go to him. I will take care of this."
"You don't understand," AJ ripped her wrist away from Eva, "Gohan isn't ready. I'm the only one—"
"These are orders from the King," Eva bent down to pick up her clothes, placing them into AJ's hands, "Please get dressed Princess, I will handle the boys."
Eva smiled at the Princess, before walking out the door. She could tell Eva was talking to some guards before hearing her footsteps run off down the hallway. AJ looked down at her clothes, worry stricken her as she thought of both Hazuki and Gohan fighting each other.
Those men were too important to her for her to lose them.
Her eyes glanced behind her; the guards posted out her door must have been her father's. Even if she had ran past Eva, they would have stopped her as well. It would have looked bad as the future Queen to be blowing off her father to stop her men.
She had to thank Eva for watching her back. She gave out a loud sigh, before starting to get dressed.
She only hopped this was something Eva could handle.
The garden, it was many times in which Gohan and AJ had spent their nights training. AJ had always told Gohan that he could use his energy for things other then fighting. Like dancing. Yet, Gohan knew better then anyone that he was no dancer.
He was a killer, plain and simple.
So when Hazuki brought him here, took three steps in front of Gohan and then turned to face him, he saw determined glare in the adult's eyes. He had seen that cocky look so many times over he knew what it meant.
He wanted a fight.
"I know what you and AJ have been doing, and I gotta say kid, I'm kind of surprised."
"Surprised?" Gohan blinked, not sure what Hazuki was getting at.
"Yeah, surprised," Hazuki shrugged his shoulders, "Being 'The Boy with the Hollow Eyes' I figured you would have realized that I have been watching the both of you."
Gohan's eyes widen, instinctively taking a step back. Gohan had known what people had called him when he was with Vanlash and his crew. He even remembered looking at himself once while he was destroying planets. It was a hard thing to see, looking into his eyes and seeing nothing but a monster. The collar had drained all that made him alive, all feelings, all instincts, everything that made Gohan who he was. The collar made him a hollow being.
So of course that name would have attached itself to him.
Yet, AJ had told him that she would not tell anyone about him being apart of Vanlash's crew. How was it that Hazuki knew?
"I've heard about you and the things that you have done with that bastard Vanlash, its sick to hear about all the stories. When I first meet you, I had no idea what you were. Once finding out the truth, I gotta say, I would never picture you being that kind of guy."
"I'm not!" Suddenly all the blood in Gohan's body flushed his cheeks, he took a step forward, "I'm not that person anyone, I never wanted to be tha—"
Hazuki put his hand up, silencing Gohan before he could go on, "I heard about the collar."
The color in Gohan's face vanished as quickly as it came. Gohan thought he would faint at the mere mention of the thing that kept him locked up. He felt like he was chocking, taking a deep breath, trying to find the words in his voice, Gohan barely was able to come out with one word, "How?"
Hazuki shrugged his shoulders, "How'd I found out? Everyone here knows about Vanlash. The day that he showed up is the day the Princess saved you, right? I just put two and two together, I have been AJ's bodyguard for five years now kid, I may be a joker at times but nothing gets past me."
Hazuki leaned against his left leg, putting his hands on top of his hips, "Look kid, I am only telling you this right now because I didn't want you to find out about it later, but Vanlash won't be gone from your life now that you are free. He comes her often. He works with the King."
Guards surrounded all sides of AJ, like stones they didn't move, they didn't show any emotion, all they did was lead her to her father's main office.
She was grateful for Hazuki loud mouth and Gohan's quiet but calming presents. If she had to be around these stone men all day she would be bored to death.
The men circled behind her as AJ made her way to the door. She gave a soft knock, "Father, may I enter?"
"You may," her father's voice answered from the other end. AJ opened the door and stepped inside.
Her heart stopped.
Vanlash was sitting in the chair opposite her father.
Suddenly memories of ruff hands against her skin entered her mind, she shook her head to try to get the memories out. Yet, those stone cold gray eyes were a million times more freighting each time she saw them.
It took a moment to composure herself. He hurt her long ago, and she had seen Vanlash many times since then. She was able to maintain a calm statue around him many times before.
She thought of Gohan, and suddenly she forgot to act calm, "What are you doing here?"
"AJ," the Princess' eyes shot up to her father's eyes looking down at her.
She swallowed her emotions, she brought her feet together and slightly bowed her head, "My apologizes, my King."
AJ could see Vanlash suppressing a smirk, he laid her eyes on her, "Sit down, Princess, the three of us have much to discuss."
Gohan wanted his blood to boil, he wanted to fly off until he was off this planet and could find his way back to the people of his dreams. He wanted to transform and destroy everything around him.
Instead, he felt himself being small. Knowing that Vanlash could be coming back, to get him, sent small sparks of panic into his heart.
He didn't react, he didn't breath, and all he could do was to look at Hazuki.
"I don't know how often Vanlash comes here, or why, out of all the times he has come to this planet he decided to bring you along with him, but I want you to be careful Gohan. I know you mean a great deal to AJ, and I don't want her to be hurt, think of it as me being like a big brother, but the Princess has been through far too much for her young age. That is why, I am going to help you now."
"Help me?" Gohan asked, "What do you mean?"
"I know the Princess is trying to teach you to use your power for something other then fighting, but I think for you, it won't work," Hazuki looked the teenager up and down, "You have been fighting all your life, yes?"
Gohan nodded, "I don't really remember, but, yes, I was a fighter before I was… Taken."
"Your problem isn't that your power is used for fighting, your problem is that you forgot that your power can be used for good."
Daggers felt like they were cutting through Gohan's heart. He felt his knees cave from under him as he fell into the floor. Balling his fist into the dirt, Gohan wanted to scream, he wanted to cry. How could his power be used for good? All he did was kill, destroy; he sheltered his life to the point that he became hollow, so hollow that even his eyes no longer had life.
Hazuki watched, unmoving, but his words reached Gohan, "You don't need to train to learn a few dance moves, you need to train so you can get over this fear."
Gohan's body allowed him to block Hazuki's kick before it hit him. He looked up at his arm above his head, protecting him from the attack. Hazuki pulled his leg back, standing above Gohan, his hands balled into fists, "Stand up and fight."
"I—I—can't," Gohan swallowed, bowing his head, in a whisper he pleaded, "I don't want to hurt you."
"Don't worry about me, worry about the Princess," Hazuki grabbed Gohan by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up to his feet, "Worry about what will happen if Vanlash gets his hands on her."
Hazuki pulled back his fist, ready to strike the saiyan when a scream cut him off, "STOP HAZUKI!"
Hazuki turned his head over to see Eva running up to the both of them. Her eyes widen to see Hazuki holding up Gohan, "Hazuki, the Princess told me that you two shouldn't be training."
"What?" Hazuki growled, looking back at the defeated child hanging from his arms, "This is exactly what the kid needs, Eva, he's been—"
"Princess said it's an order to stop, so put him down."
Hazuki turned back to the boy, his hard eyes glaring at him as he dropped the boy. Gohan didn't protest the fall, allowing his body to hit the ground under him.
"Think about what I said," Hazuki turned his back from Gohan, as he walked away, "Think about someone other then yourself."
Gohan couldn't lift his head as Hazuki and Eva walked away from him, but he couldn't escape the words Hazuki left behind.
"AJ, its about time you learn about our involvement with Vanlash," the King leaned forward on his desk, resting his elbows on the wood, crossing his fingers in front of his face. His eyes stayed on AJ, and the Princess put all her will into look back into her father's eyes, and not at the monster sitting next to her.
"Our land in the Western Galaxy has been a rich one, in fact, we are the richest. I am sure you learned this in your studies, but because of this our Kingdom has been one that is actively involved in the Western Galaxy security. Part of our security, is Vanlash."
AJ turned towards the man sitting next to her, and the knowing smirk across his face made her heart ice over. She had always wondered why her father would work with such a man. She was about to find out the answer.
"Planet Trade is the reason our world is where it is at, Princess," the King explained, as AJ turned her attention back to her father, "It is what makes our world so rich, its to prevent a war from every coming to our land. It was what kept us safe from Freeza's Empire before its downfall. Vanlash contours worlds for us, and we sell the planets he brings to us."
AJ felt the rest of body turn into ice, hanging on every word her father had told her. She had known peace in her world all her life. She now knew the reason for that.
Her Kingdom was the reason why there were monsters in the night.
"Dad," losing all sense of formality, AJ stood from her seat, "This can't be true. We can't be working with people like him, we can't be the reason for all the fear in the universe. I won't be apart of this."
"You don't have a choice," her father stood from his chair, and AJ felt small, her shoulders slumping down from the shadow of her father, "As the future Queen, this is part of your duties as Queen. Do you want our people to suffer the same fates of all those words? Do you want your people's children to fall under the hands of men like Vanlash and Gohan?"
AJ's eyes widen, she could feel her heart stopping, and she looked up at her father. She saw the stern look in her father's eyes, the way he stood tall and brave like he always had. Yet, if she hadn't been looking at her father she wouldn't have noticed, but trails of sweat fell from the corner of his face.
The longer she looked at her father, she noticed how he tried to keep his shaking body in check, to try to keep his eyes steady and strong in front of her. She looked over at Vanlash, seeing his knowing smirk, the steady look on his eyes as he looked up at her father.
Was there more to the story then her father was telling her?
He seemed nervous around Vanlash. Even scared. Was Vanlash controlling her father?
She looked back at her father, and suddenly the answer was written all over his face.
"He's blackmailing you," AJ shuttered at the words, "He's threatening you, isn't he father?"
Vanlash laughed, it was a hollow, evil laugh, it was so loud that a part of AJ hopped that Gohan was not around. If Gohan had heard this laugh, it would break her heart.
She knew her bodyguard had heard this laugh many times before.
"World Trade is a tricky business, Princess AJ," Vanlash stood up, taking a step closer to AJ, "I simply can't work as an independent after all, after the downfall of Freeza's Empire, the selling and buying of worlds can't not reach the pockets of a common man. Selfish empires and kings from all the galaxies can't help but to expand their kingdoms, letting their greedy names expand to worlds far beyond their own. Princess AJ, your Kingdom far expands this tiny planet."
AJ wanted to throw up, she looked back at her father, hoping that what she was learning was a lie, but as more beads of sweat fell from her father's forehead, she realized the truth.
Her father help kept Vanlash in business.
"A world like this one…" Vanlash went on, taking another step until he was in front of AJ. She tried to take a step back, but her father's desk prevented her from backing up further. Vanlash was standing only centimeters away from her, and her mind flashed back to a time when his ruff hands against her young skin. How his hands slide up her, pinning her down against him. She could feel him touching her, controlling her, his knowing smirk that she couldn't get away.
She couldn't get away.
Vanlash lightly touched the side of her face, "…Would give me a nice big payout."
"Stop," She heard her father's voice crack from behind her, "Leave her alone."
Vanlash didn't listen; he pressed his body closer to AJ. She wanted to push the man away from her; she wanted to use the power she had inside of her to fight against this man. She knew she had the power to get his man off her. Yet, her mind reverted back to a time when she was a little girl.
And she couldn't get away.
"I need something from you little girl," he hissed, as if he was reading her mind, as if he saw right into her fears. AJ stood frozen under this man, "I need my pet back."
"I told you," the King said, "That you won't have my support if you use the boy."
"I am sick of your games," Vanlash said, his eyes darting to the Kings.
AJ wanted to turn around to look at her father, she wanted to listen to what her father was saying to this monster, but Vanlash's body on her didn't allow her to move. She was frozen in the familiar fear.
"You need me as much as I need you, Vanlash," the King balled his hands into a fist, "No one will want to make these trades if they knew you and that child were behind the destruction of those worlds. I have done everything you have asked, but I will not allow some child to be our middleman. You do the things you do, and I will look away and cover your tracks like I always have, but I will end our deal if you use the boy."
"You are the last man who should grow a conscience," Vanlash hissed. AJ could feel the vibrations of his words against her skin, and shut her eyes as tightly as she could.
Suddenly, something very cold was placed around her neck. AJ instantly brought her hand to the thing around her neck.
It was a collar.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Her father screamed, running from behind the desk and pushing Vanlash away from his daughter. The collar fell from her neck the moment her father pulled her into his arms.
Their eyes darted back to the collar on the ground.
Vanlash only laughed at their reactions, "The girl has no use to me, just the boy."
AJ felt her father tighten his grip around her, "I told you the answer was—"
AJ knew she had blinked once. She remembered looking at Vanlash, and for a moment in time, her eyelids turned her world black. She remembered the darkness like it was an old friend; she greeted the peace that the darkness offered her.
When her eyelids lifted, she knew her world would forever change.
Vanlash had his index finger softly pressed against her forehead. She looked up at him, and suddenly his finger got hot, burning hot. She could feel her skin starting to burn slightly.
Vanlash's technician Weller had made the collar, and she knew that one of the reasons it was a danger is that it had the ability to block ki. So it didn't surprise AJ to realize that she could not sense Vanlash's ki.
She could feel the heat coming off his finger.
He was going to kill her.
"Okay," she heard her father exhale, holding onto his daughter as tightly as he could, "Okay, don't hurt her. I'll get you the boy."
Vanlash smiled, kicking the collar towards the father and daughter, "Put this on the boy, and once you do, I will collect him. I will give you 24 hours to do so. If is not in front of me by that time, I will end your daughter."
Vanlash didn't look back as he walked away. As soon as the door shut in front of them. AJ let out a sob.
"I didn't want it to come to this," her father said, "I'm sorry."
Realizing who was holding her, she jumped up, pushing her father away from him. She glanced down at her father, she felt her tears falling but ignored them, "Why are you doing this?"
"I'm not going to let him kill—"
AJ cut him off, letting her voice rage in an anger she didn't know she had, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT," her rage disappeared in an instance, and she felt hollow, "Why are you letting that man control you?"
The King took his time standing up, AJ watched as she realized how old her father was becoming. Just the act of standing up alone took so much energy out of him. She took the time to notice his gray hair, his wrinkled face, the way his breathing whistled softly each time he exhaled a breath.
Her father couldn't be King for long.
"A King," her father took a moment to find her eyes, she wanted to look away from him, but she knew she couldn't. When her eyes connected with his, he went on, "Has to look out for his people, we were a ruined land before Vanlash. Our economy before you were born could not support our—"
"Money?" AJ didn't hide her tears as she let the fall down her face, "You traded the integrity of our land for money?"
"It's not that simple," Her father sighed, "Our people were dying, Azura Jun. There was not enough food to feed the people, a disease had spread and killed half the population with no way to afford a cure. I've done the best I can for our people, I sold my soul for our people."
"I can't believe this," AJ whipped her eyes, "I can't believe that this man has been controlling us this whole time."
"I wanted to kill that man for what he did to you," and suddenly, the thing they never talked about was coming out.
AJ wanting to shrink into an ant, she wanted to make it so no one could see the look on her face, on her father's face, as this conversation was starting. She had remembered the day she finally told her father what had happened, and he had brushed it aside as if it never happened. She knew the reason she even had Hazuki and Gohan was because of what happened, but they never really talked about it. She didn't want to talk about it now, of all things.
"I'm sorry Azura Jun, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from him. I know in the process of selling my soul I sold him my daughter as well. This… This was never supposed to happen like this."
"This isn't right," AJ's words were cracked with pain, she wanted to hide it, but she couldn't do that, not anymore, "I can't be the Queen and allow this to go on. We are stopping him, we won't let him control us anymore."
"How?" Her father asked, "There isn't a way to stop him, he is too powerful."
"I know but," AJ's eyes darted back to the collar laying the floor, "I hate to do this, but I have an idea."
Gohan let Hazuki's words flood his mind Think about someone other then yourself.
Those words hit him like a stone of bricks.
The saiyan looked down at his hands, he never thought of himself as a selfish person. In fact, he hardly thought of himself at all. He always thought about them, about the people that he killed. His thoughts were never his own anymore, they were only of all the pain that he had caused.
Having this kind of easy life, it felt like a sin. Like he didn't deserve to be alone in this beautiful garden. He didn't deserve to have someone like Hazuki who cared about his well-being. He didn't deserve to have people on other planets caring about him. He didn't deserve to have someone who loved him like AJ did.
He knew he had a great power, Gohan could feel it circling inside of him, and if he could he would take that power and give it away. He would give it to someone like Hazuki who could make better use of it.
Maybe that was why he wanted to give the dancing thing a try, to give a different meaning to the power he had inside of him. He should have known from the start that it was a pointless endeavor.
"Gohan," her voice broke him from his train of thought.
He looked up expecting a small smile on AJ's lips like she always did when she said his name. He expected her to come up with some kind of encouraging speech to get him to start their training again. He expected pretty much anything but the tear stained face, the pleading eyes, and a collar gripped around her hand.
A collar…
It wasn't the same one he came to this planet with, he destroyed that collar the first chance he got. He never expected to see anything like that again.
The moment he looked at her, more tears ran down her face. She gripped the collar tight around her grip, she tried to speak, tried to open her mouth but nothing but air escaped.
"Are you sending me back now?" Was all that Gohan could say.
He wouldn't blame her, after all.
"No, of course not," AJ was sobbing, she was crying so deeply that it stopped Gohan from all logic.
She had a collar on her, all she had to do was get close enough to him and wrap it around his neck. He would lose all power, all feelings, and he would resort back to a blood filled life. He knew the risk to get close to her, but for some reason he didn't care. He walked to her, and wrapped his arms around her. His heart was beating fast, he feared the collar more then he feared anything in the world.
Yet, AJ was crying, and he had to comfort her.
She wrapped her arms around him as well, he felt the metal of the collar against his back, and Gohan tried with all of his might not to think about the thing in her hands. He loved AJ, he loved her so much, enough that he would go back if he had too.
"I don't want to ask you this," she spoke into his chest, she felt as she inhaled his scent, "If I wasn't trapped I would never ask you to do this."
"It's okay," he held her tight, he breathed in her scent as well, "If you want me to go, I'll go."
"NO," suddenly she pushed him away, catching Gohan off guard that he fell to the ground, "HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?" She screamed at him, letting the tears fall faster down her face, "How could you think that of me?"
"You have a collar," he argued back, "The only person who would give you that is him."
"That's true," she said, her shoulders slumped forward, "Vanlash was here, and he gave me this," she lifted the collar, showing the collar to her guard, "He told me if I didn't give you back to him in twenty-four hours, then he would kill me."
"Then I'll go," Gohan got on his feet, "I can go, I can handle it. I couldn't handle it if you died."
"I would never trade my life for yours," AJ brought the collar to her chest, "What kind of Queen would I be if I let people die for me?"
"He won't kill me," Gohan's eyes laid on the collar, "He'll keep me alive."
"If you went back to that life, it would kill you," AJ whipped her eyes, "I care about you too much to make you a slave again."
Their words were so heavy in the air, that Gohan could feel the tension between them breaking. They were entering something special, he could feel it. All this pain, all this tension, all this had to be for something. He would go back if she had asked, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"I need you to trust me," AJ took a step forward, collar still in her hand. Without meaning too, Gohan took a step back. AJ looked down at the collar in her hand, noticing Gohan's reaction, before setting it on the ground. She took another step forward, and then another, until she was at arm's reach of Gohan. She took his hands, opening up his palms, and put her hands into his, "That man, he is a destroyer of lives. Not just yours, but my Kingdom as well. I hate to ask this of you, its literally killing me, but I have to place my Kingdom over my heart."
"I understand," Gohan nodded sadly.
"No, you don't," AJ looked up at Gohan, her eyes steady and strong, it was enough strength in there for the both of them, "I need you to kill Vanlash."
Earth
Gokuu didn't want to tell Chi-Chi that he made contact with their son. He was over the moon when he saw their son for the first time. After so many years of searching for him, it finally felt like he was heading in the right track. He wanted to tell Chi-Chi everything, he wanted to tell her that he got to talk to their son, and how strong he looked.
Yet, remembering his son's hollow eyes and his painful cries were enough to make Gokuu bottle up his discovery.
If something happened and he wasn't able to get his son back, just telling her would destroy her.
Piccolo and Gokuu made the decision to meet up a little earlier then the night before. They wanted to make sure to catch Gohan at the time he was sleeping, if they were able to get him before his nightmare, they might be able to talk to him again.
Gokuu had made the excuse to Chi-Chi that he was off to train with Piccolo, and Chi-Chi had believed him. He knew she would, a request like this was nothing unusual, but Gokuu didn't have the stomach for lying, so keeping this secret was like his weighted clothing, he felt the pressure everywhere he went.
Piccolo was waiting for him at a different spot. It was a clearing in the middle of a forest, mountains had covered around most of the land, but on one side was a huge crater, as if someone destroyed it.
Gokuu took a look around; it took him a moment to realize that this spot wasn't far from where he and Piccolo fought Radtiz all those years ago. Piccolo was waiting for him, floating above a small little pond in the clearing mediating.
"Why here?" Gokuu asked instead of a greeting.
Piccolo opened his eyes, he looked around the area before smiling softly at himself, something that Piccolo never did around Gokuu, "This is where I first meet Gohan."
"You care about him a lot, don't you?"
Annoyed by the question, Piccolo stood up, floating over to Gokuu and landing next to him, "Let's just see if we can get ahold of him."
Piccolo turned his back to Gokuu and sat down on the grass, Gokuu followed suit, crossing his legs as he sat down behind Piccolo. He put his hand against the Namek's back.
"So, just like last night," Piccolo instructed, "Think about Gohan and hopefully we'll get in touch with him."
"Right."
Gokuu searched his mind out into the universe; he opened himself up to what the universe would offer him. Once he felt like his soul was traveling though space, he thought of his oldest child. He remembered his goofy grin, his wide wondering eyes, and his heart. His son always had a strong heart, filled with so much emotion, when Gohan felt something; he felt it in his whole being.
That is why his cries from yesterday killed Gokuu. During his search for his son, he had heard about Vanlash and his crew, and witnessed all the evil in the world. To think of his son being controlled by those things, those fifthly, lower-then-life beings, it made his blood boil.
His beautiful, prefect son. He was out there, he knew it.
He could feel it.
There was grass, it was everywhere. He felt the wind as it ran through his hair, the sun as it beat down on him. Gohan wanted to run in the field, to feel wonderful and free. Instead, he stood in the center of the grass as the wind danced around him.
This grassy place had appeared once in his dream. Gohan looked up at the calm blue sky.
"The calm before the storm," he breathed into the air.
"Gohan," something called out to him.
He heard the voice before, and Gohan felt warmness at the core of him. His eyes glanced over towards the noise, and he saw a tall man with a blue and orange gi, wild black hair just like his own, and big eyes.
The eyes he use to have.
Gohan gave the man a smile and watched as the man ran up to him, embracing him in a tight hug. Gohan didn't hug back, but he placed his head against the man's shoulder. It felt too real to be a dream.
"Thank you for coming," Gohan said, he breathed in the scent of the man, he smelt like sweat, wood, and vanilla, "I'm glad I get to see you one last time."
"Last time?" Gokuu asked, pulling away from his son, "If anything, it will be the last time in you dreams, my son."
"Son," Gohan felt the words on his lips, trying to taste their meaning. It felt strange that he could be a son of anyone.
"Yes, my son," Gokuu gripped Gohan's shoulders, "Tell me where you are so I can come get you."
Gohan shook his head, "I can't do that."
Gokuu blinked in surprise, "Why not?"
"There is something I have to do," Gohan looked down, "AJ thinks that I can do it, but I am not so sure."
"AJ?" Gokuu asked, "Do what?"
"Kill," the teenager hated using the word, he spit the word as if it was a bad taste in his mouth, "I have to kill him."
"Vanlash," Gokuu narrowed his eyes, "Is that who you are planning to kill?"
Gohan looked up, questioning how this man knew that name, instead of asking, he nodded his head.
"You don't have to do this alone," Gokuu gripped his hands tighter around his son's shoulders, "Piccolo and I are here to help. If you tell us where you are, we will come and we will help."
"This isn't your battle, I can't ask you to risk your lives—"
"Stop," Gokuu shook his son slightly to interrupt him, "We are family, and although we haven't been together in so long, we are still that, a family. We are coming to help. We'll stay as long as we need to so we can defeat Vanlash. I want to make sure that bastard gets what's coming to him. Tell me where you are so we can help, please."
"Do you really want someone like me?" Gohan asked, lowering his head, "I'm a monster just like he is."
"You aren't a monster."
"But you don't know what I have—"
"Yes I do."
Gohan looked up at those words, full of terror he looked at his father. After knowing what he had down, how many people he had killed, he still wanted to help? It felt sort of silly. So Gohan laughed, it was a laugh filled with a hollow, pleading cry behind it. Soon, the laugh turned into tears. Gohan tried to hiccup them away, but it didn't work. Before he had the chance to whip his tears away, his father did it for him. He brushed the tears out of his eyes. Gohan looked into Gokuu's eyes, and he started to believe.
He believed in hope.
"Now, tell me where you are."
"To be honest, I am not really sure. I never bothered to learn the name of this world. I didn't want to get attached to it. I can't even tell you how to get here. Anyway, even if I could, I don't think you could make it in time. Vanlash is coming tomorrow, I am going to kill him then."
"Do you know what part of the galaxy you are in?"
"I'm in the west."
Gokuu nodded, "That's a start. Son, can you do me a favor tomorrow, when you are facing Vanlash."
Gohan blinked, "Sure, what is it?"
"I want you to power up as much as you possibly can. Turn to your form beyond super saiyan, and if you release enough of your power, I can use my instant transmission to get you."
"Instant transmission?" The words felt familiar when he spoke them.
"Yeah, don't you remember?" Gokuu asked.
Gohan shook his head sadly; "I have forgotten a lot of things from my past life. I'm not sure if it's because of the collar or just repressed memories," Gohan looked to see the hurt look across his father's face before he bowed his head softly, "I remember you, and mom, and a little of Piccolo-san. I don't really remember much else."
Gokuu nodded, his expression soften before he pulled his son for one last hug, "I feel I'm slipping, I have to go. Release your power son, and I'll come get you. I love you"
Gohan woke up, instead of staring at his father; he was staring at the ceiling.
Remembering his dream, he sat himself up, looking out the window next to him. He was surprised he was able to even go to sleep with the events of tomorrow weighing on him.
Getting out of bed, Gohan knew where he was going to walk too.
He didn't need to sneak around anymore. Not with tomorrow weighing in the back of his mind.
She was always in the same spot around this time at night. He knew the way even if he was blindfolded.
The garden was always still at night, the soft gust of wind allowed the flowers to sway back and forth against the night sky. The stars shined down on them, the moon lighting up the night sky.
AJ sitting in the garden, as Gohan started walking closer to her, he noticed her pulling grass out of the ground. She didn't notice Gohan until he sat down at the ground next to him. She looked up, giving the saiyan a half smile, as she leaned her body against him.
They sat like that just a moment, leaning against each other and listening to just the wind in the night sky.
"I'm sorry," AJ spoke into the wind, breaking the silence between them.
"It's okay," Gohan spoke against the wind, "This is something we have to do."
"Its really going to be okay, you know, Hazuki and I can handle them, enough for you too…"
Gohan sighed, silencing her, "Whatever happens, just think of your Kingdom before me, okay."
"Gohan don't think like—"
"Promise me," Gohan cut her off, grabbing onto her arm and turning her towards him.
AJ wanted to lie to him; she wanted to tell him that she loved him beyond anything. Yet, she knew that was a hollow promise. Instead, she glanced away from him, nodding her head.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close; "I have to thank you, AJ, for teaching me how to love again."
AJ had told her father to call Vanlash away from their capital. She didn't want anything to happen in the confines of her castle where her people could see. If this was going to go wrong, and there was a very good chance it could, she didn't want her people to see her be controlled by this monster of a man.
With herself, Hazuki, and Gohan, they would have enough people to fight off Vanlash and his crew.
AJ walked up to Gohan, placing the collar in his hands, "Want to go over the plan again?"
Hazuki and Gohan nodded at the Princess. AJ put both of her hands on top of her men's shoulders, "Okay, so this is what is going to happen. We are going to put the collar on Gohan, but I was able to get explosive device on the inside of the collar, so after five minutes, it will explode enough to damage the collar but not hurt you Gohan. Once you are free, you will fight against Vanlash, and Hazuki and I will go against Rexter and Tomack. Hopefully they don't come, but just in case they do…"
Hazuki sighed, "This sounds like a horrible idea. What about the fat guy they have, so we are outnumbered. Plus, no offence Princess, but the only fighting experience you have is our training sessions. You have never been in battle before. I think it would be better if you just let me handle this."
"I can't do that," Princess tighten her grip around the both of them, "I know I never been in battle like you both have, but I can fight. I can hold my own. Plus, we don't have any other way to handle this. Vanlash won't even land on this planet until we put the collar on Gohan. We just have to make sure to hold them off until the timer goes off."
"I still don't…"
"Do you have a better idea Hazuki?" AJ screamed.
Hazuki glanced over at Gohan, before looking at the Princess, "No, Princess."
"You don't have to do this," Gohan looked at the both of them, "I don't want you to risk your lives for me, I can…"
"Gohan," AJ hissed, glaring at her guard, "You aren't the only person here. I have my Kingdom to think about. If he wins, we all lose. Its as simple as that."
Gohan swallowed the rest of his words, noticing Hazuki's harsh glare staring right at him. The words of the day before still ran in his head, Think about someone other then yourself.
As hard as it was to picture, this exchange wasn't all about him.
It just felt like the world around his was crashing.
"Gohan," the boy looked up at the Princess, he searched in her eyes to see if she had any regrets, instead, her eyes stayed strong, "Can you do this?"
Gohan only nodded.
The moment AJ lifted the collar and placed it around Gohan's neck, he felt the chill of the cold metal against his skin. His heart started beating, he could hear it in his ears. The fear of losing control, the pain of knowing that this could be the rest of his life, shattered him.
AJ held the collar against his neck, the latch inches away from connecting. Once it connected. It would lose all control.
"I'm sorry."
"Kiss me."
AJ blinked at the request, staring into Gohan's eyes. He sighed deeply, not daring to move his eyes, "Worse case, I want your kiss to be the last thing."
AJ didn't answer, she didn't respond at first. She slowly moved closer to Gohan, so slow that the moment her lips landed on Gohan, he felt the electricity dance on his lips. He pressed his mouth against hers, feeling the collar rub against his neck. It was some sort of irony, the thing pressed his lips was the thing that made him feel alive, and the thing around his neck was what took all of it away.
The clip of the collar was a loud noise, so piercing that Gohan pulled back in a sharp jerking motion, breaking his connection with AJ.
For good.
Hazuki set the timer on his watch for five minutes.
Spikes entered Gohan's neck, causing him to scream out in pain. Blood slowly started to drip from his neck as he began to calm down. His breaths at first were rapid and hard, but in a moment they were calm, almost to calm. Gohan looked up, and stared AJ with eyes that were not his own.
AJ always knew Gohan's eyes. Although they were full of pain, there was that little bit of kindness that always shined though. His eyes gave away all his emotions.
This Gohan, he was looking at her, but it was as if he couldn't make the connection of who was in front of him.
"Whoa," Hazuki, stepped in front of the Princess, blocking her view of Gohan, "I don't like the look of his eyes."
"It's the collar," AJ chocked out the words, "Oh God, why did I do this to him?"
He stood in front of them like a muted puppet. His eyes-unblinking, hollow in the way he looked at them. She could no longer feel his energy. Everything that made him the way he was, the look of his eyes, the way he talked, the way he moved, the way he reached out and touched her, was now gone.
"Gohan," AJ wanted to walk over and touch him, but Hazuki pulled her back, "What have I done…"
"Its okay AJ," Hazuki held onto her, "It's only for five minutes, and then he'll be back to normal."
A space ship floated in the sky above them, Hazuki and AJ looked up to see a space ship floating above them. Hazuki grabbed AJ and Gohan and ran out of the way as the space ship landed before them.
Tears started to form in AJ's eyes; Hazuki gripped onto her shoulder and looked down at his watch, "Four minutes Princess, just four more minutes."
Vanlash exited the ship, followed by the rest of the crew. AJ had never meet Rexter, Tomack, or Weller, but as they all followed their leader off the ship, AJ could see why each and every one of them had followed Vanlash so easily.
Their eyes, they were the eyes of killers.
It was hard to see Gohan mixed up with these horrible people.
Vanlash's eyes landed on Gohan, a sick twisted satisfaction rested on his face. AJ felt her spine go cold as she watched the man lick his lips at Gohan's state.
"Very good Princess, I am glad we have an understanding." Vanlash walked over at Gohan, towering over him, "Have anything to say, boy?"
Gohan didn't respond, his eyes looked up at Vanlash, but they held no emotion.
The monster laughed, placing his hand on Gohan's shoulders, "Over the years we picked out the prefect settings for you. I know you can hear me boy, I know you can register everything that is happening to you, so I am going to tell you this now, so you'll never forget," Vanlash smiled, bending down, brining his mouth to Gohan's ear, his words were slow, carefully spoken, he made sure Gohan heard everything, "I gave you this freedom as a gift, I wanted you to remember it, to embrace it. I'm taking it away from you now. Remember that I can take everything away from you."
"YOU MONSTER!" AJ cried out, trying to escape Hazuki's grip, tears in her eyes, "How can you be so cruel?"
Vanlash only laughed at that remark, "Am I really the cruel one? Aren't you the one who set him free? Now you are the one who brought him back home."
"Two more minutes," Hazuki whispered in AJ's ears, "Only two more."
"Its going to be nice to have the boy back, Rexter grinned, "I was getting sick of getting my own hands dirty."
"I have missed my toy," Tomack laughed, "I'm sure the boy has missed our play time."
Vanlash grabbed the back of Gohan's hair, and in that instant the boy went limp at the touch. Vanlash started to walk towards his crew, dragging the boy behind him.
AJ couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't stand by and let them harass Gohan like this anymore. She felt her energy building inside of her, and in an instant she created a blast in her hand, and threw it towards Vanlash.
Tomack blocked the attack before it made contact with Vanlash. He blocked it with such ease that all the color in AJ's face faded.
Vanlash narrowed his eyes, dropping Gohan in an instance, walking towards AJ, "Princess, I am surprised."
Hazuki let go of AJ and pushed her behind him, "Just stay back, she's just upset."
"Stop," a whisper came from behind Vanlash, Gohan lifted his head and looked up at Vanlash, "Stop."
"My, my, the boy must care about you a great deal. He isn't suppose to talk." Vanlash shook his head, "You better watch boy, because I am going to make sure I destroy that soul of yours."
Hazuki jumped forward, charging after Vanlash. Before he was able to make contact with the leader, Tomack appeared in front of him, punching Hazuki and sending him flying in the opposite direction.
"Is this an act of war, Princess?" Vanlash asked, before a smirk formed on his face.
AJ tried to hide her tears; she wanted to act brave as she could hear Hazuki and Tomack fighting in the distance. She squared her feet, bringing her fists in front of her. She wanted to act brave, but she knew her tears were not helping her.
Vanlash laughed at her, "My, my, young girl, haven't you forgotten… It's okay to cry."
It was an instance, she wasn't prepared for Vanlash to push her down to the ground, she tried to get up but Vanlash pinned her arms to the ground. She tried to kick him off her, but Vanlash pinned down her legs with his knees, "You forget who is in control here, you may be a Princess, but I'll always be the one who controls you."
"AJ!" Hazuki screamed, abandoning his fight with Tomack and racing towards the Princess.
"Stop," Gohan whispered, placing his hand around the collar, "Vanlash, stop."
Rexter kicked Gohan on the side, and in an instant he rolled over to his side, "Shut your mouth boy and just enjoy the show."
Vanlash pressed his tongue down AJ's throat. She screamed through the contact, hot tears flowing down her cheek. She tried to jerk her way around Vanlash's grip, her mind running wild of a past she tried to escape from. His hands, they felt stronger, rougher, harder then they did all those years ago. She felt just as powerless, he had her pinned down and there wasn't anything she could do.
The pressure of the man on top of her left her body, AJ looked up to see Hazuki standing in front of her, his breath hard and ragged. He glance down at the her, "Run, get away. Your kingdom needs you."
Vanlash stood up, whipping the side of head, looking down at his fingers; the tips were covered in blood. Vanlash looked at Hazuki, growling with rage, "You are going to pay for that."
Hazuki jumped up, fists in front of him as he rushed towards Vanlash, "I'm going to finish you!"
It was only a moment in time.
So fast, so unexpected, that AJ saw her life break in that moment,
It only took a single punch, one punch to Hazuki's temple to completely destroy his ki. Her oldest guard didn't have a second, there was no goodbye, there was not another glance her way, there was no way she could go back and face Eva now. Hazuki's body hit the ground in a gut-wrenching bang, his neck twisted too far back.
"HAZUKI!" AJ screamed, running to his fallen body. She tried to check for a pulse, tried to find a way for him to wake up, but his unmoving eyes staring into the sky, unblinking, was enough to confirm it.
AJ balled his fists into Hazuki's shirt, her eyes tried to find their way to Vanlash, but instead, they landed on Gohan.
Gohan lying on the floor, eyes wide open, stared at the body.
Something happened, something made Gohan snap. He hands turned into fists as he stood up, his body shaking. Blue sparks flew from the collar, as Gohan body continued to shake.
AJ looked down at Hazuki's watch, they still had one minute before the explosive in his neck would explode.
What was happening?
"You," his words slurred in his mouth, his eyes narrowed, "I," the collar under Gohan's skin began to crack, "Monster," the ground from under them shook.
Vanlash glanced over at Weller, "What is going on?"
Weller with a controller in his hand, started to press a random assortment of buttons, "I don't know sir, its not working. I'm losing control."
A shuttering scream filled the air. If AJ could, she would cover her ears from the sheer pain that was laced inside that voice. She couldn't even recognize it being Gohan anymore.
The collar broke, pieces of the metal flying in different directions, but due to Gohan's power, evaporated before the pieces hit the ground. The power, it was so powerful, it only took an instant for Gohan to transform into the form he always hid from him. His eyes turned to a deep turquoise, his hair growing and expanding, changing shape and turning from black to gold.
Blue shards of electricity suddenly circled around Gohan, as his muscles seem to expand. His hair changed shapes once again, each piece of hair standing up straight. Wind started to circle around him, and the world felt like it was all pulling its way towards Gohan.
The energy, it was beyond anything she had ever felt before.
It was overwhelming.
Earth
Gokuu had spent all last night and the day mediating next to Piccolo. Both warriors on edge, their minds searching towards the west, trying to feel for anything that would lead them to Gohan.
Suddenly, a power struck in the center of Gokuu's mind. Something he had never felt before. The power was twisted with rage, uncontrollable, terrifying ki, but that ki, it felt familiar.
Piccolo's eyes darted over to Gokuu, "That's him."
Gokuu nodded, closing his eyes, attaching his mind to the ki signature he had been searching years for. He felt Piccolo's hand rest on his shoulder, and in that instance, they were gone.
When Gohan looked over at Vanlash, his eyes steady on his former master; he had known that he had won.
He felt the power of his super saiyan two form; he felt it all the way to his bone. He had been with Vanlash and his crew for so long, he knew that Vanlash never reached this power.
No one did.
Vanlash took a step backwards, trying to shallow his fear, "What are you?"
"This is what you made," Gohan answered back, his voice deep, stern, the voice he always thought he would grow up to be, "You should know more then anyone what I am."
Gohan took a step forward, Vanlash took a step backward.
Two life forces suddenly appeared next to Gohan. The kis felt familiar, from a time long ago, but Gohan couldn't take his eyes off Vanlash.
"Gohan…" Gokuu looked at his son, the last time he saw his son was a moment like this one, his son in super saiyan two. The last moment he had with his son was Gohan screaming his name as he vanished from the Earth.
Now, his son eye's were fixated on another battle. Gokuu followed his son's gaze to Vanlash and his crew.
"You," Gokuu hissed, and in an instance transformed, "You are the one who took my son, aren't you?"
"Yes," Piccolo powered up, "The red hair one, that's the leader. I have been waiting years to see that face again."
AJ looked over at the two men who suddenly entered the battle. One of them, the one who also transformed looked a little like Gohan. Were they related? It was hard for her to keep her mind focused from the pure terror that was happening in front of her. Standing up, she swallowed her fear, summoning her power that rested inside of her.
She had never been in battle, she had only used her power as a form of dance, but she had trained to fight and she wasn't going sit by and watch other people fight for her.
It was four on four; it was now a fair fight.
No one had to be told what to do or who to go for. That national pull of battle assigned people their opponent. AJ charged towards Weller, Tomack rushed to Piccolo, Rexter and Gokuu jumped into the sky, and Vanlash and Gohan stood in their original spots.
"I have to say boy, I'm impressed," Vanlash hissed, brining his hand up towards Gohan, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that we ended up here."
Gohan didn't respond, he watched as Vanlash started to pull his energy into the center of his palm.
Vanlash laughed, "I got to say, at least I had my way with the girl. I'll let you die with that last thought."
Gohan narrowed his eyes; he brought his hand up, his palm stretched out in front of him.
The power in Vanlash's energy was stronger then Gohan would have given him credit for. The power kept building around him, the bright ball of energy soon blocking Gohan's view of his former master.
"Now it's your time to die," Vanlash screamed, releasing the power towards Gohan.
The ball of energy hit Gohan's hand. Gohan felt the ball within his palm, and balled his hand into a fist. The energy blasted within his hand, not leaving a single mark on Gohan.
Vanlash took a step backwards, "What? Impossible…"
Gohan eyes glanced up at Vanlash, taking another step towards him.
Gokuu didn't like the idea of fighting women, but in this case, he gladly took the chance.
"Who are you?" Rexter screamed, "This doesn't concern you."
"Oh, this matter concerns me alright," Gokuu couldn't help but to feel the anger inside of him taking over. He felt as his body was expanding past his super saiyan form and into super saiyan two. He felt the power circling around his body, "That's my son."
Rexter's eyes darken, "You weren't there on the day he joined us."
"He didn't join you," Gokuu hissed through his teeth, "You guys took him."
"He really didn't put up much of a fight," Rexter smirked, "Maybe he was willing to leave your worthless planet."
Gokuu could feel his rage in the middle of his chest, listening to this woman talk was making his blood boil. He knew his son; he would never do the things they made him do if he was in control. He knew that, he felt himself transform again, his hair growing, his muscles expanding; he felt all the energy he had inside of him.
Rexter's face fell at this new transformation. She felt her body starting to shake as she felt the power around her.
"I am going to end this fast," Gokuu stated, facing the woman, "I can't hold onto this form for long."
Rexter grinned, throwing her hands on top of her head forming an energy attack, "Good to know, I will have you wishing you were dead in no time!"
Rexter threw her attack at Gokuu. Gokuu didn't waste any time, he flew threw her energy attack, passing through it as if it was nothing. Rexter pulled back the moment she saw Gokuu flying towards her in such speed that she barely saw her killer coming.
"I will end you for what you did to my son!"
Gokuu's fist made contact with Rexter's face, her head instantly snapped back. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her body fell limp and started falling towards the ground. Gokuu watched as the body fell, as he pointed his palm at woman's body, forming a blast, "May the Gods save your wretched soul."
Her body disappeared within the blast before it hit the ground.
Tomack was able to land one solid punch across Piccolo's face.
The Namek didn't react. His eyes glared up into the man's face. Tomack took a moment to look into the Namek's face, before he whispered, "Wait, I know you."
Tomack retreated his arm, before he broke out in a laugh, "You're the guy I fought when we got the kid. I see you are here for a re-match. We didn't get to finish last time, if I remember correctly."
Piccolo didn't respond, he squared his shoulders, watching carefully Tomack as he fell into his own fighting stance. Both fighters charged at each other at the same time, Piccolo drawing his fist for a punch, Tomack blocking Piccolo's first fist, but leaving himself wide open for the second as Piccolo fist made contact with Tomack, causing him to hit the ground in a solid motion. Before Tomack had a change to stand up, Piccolo grabbed him by his armor, lifting him into the air, Piccolo brought back his fist and hit Tomack square across the face. He hit him again, and again, and again, he lost count on how many times he had punched Tomack. Soon, Piccolo's vision became read, until all that was left of Tomack was a blood-filled face.
Piccolo looked down at his blood soaked hand, "I have been waiting years for this day to come."
Tomack tired to respond, but instead of words, blood fell from his deformed lips. Tomack coughed out the blood, his body sneezing and tightening from the pain of his unspoken words.
Piccolo watched Tomack's bloody form reacting to him, and the Namek had a sick pleasure in watching this thing suffering in his hands. A dark smirk appeared on his lips, one that Piccolo hadn't felt in years. Piccolo dropped Tomack, watching as his body dropped in a solid thump on the ground. Standing over Tomack, Piccolo brought his foot down on Tomack. He put little pressure on his face, not enough to kill him, but enough to cover his nose and mouth, not allowing Tomack to breathe. Piccolo smiled as Tomack struggled from under him, as he tried to breathe.
Piccolo put a little more pressure on Tomack's face, and under his foot Piccolo heard him scream. Piccolo took pleasure in that scream. He closed his eyes at the sweat agony of this creature's pain. Piccolo pressed his foot into the man's face, as a gut wrenching scream and blood filled the air. He wasn't quite dead yet, but he was knocking on death's door.
Piccolo opened his eyes, darting over to Gohan. The boy had grown so much since the last time he seen him. He was taller, broader, his face covered with harden lines, lines that he never developed when he lived on Earth. Those lines on his face were the features of someone who had experienced true pain, true battle, true torture.
The Namek's eyes darted back to the man under him. It suddenly felt wrong what he was doing. He was torturing this man under his foot, and that was something that his Gohan wouldn't like. His Gohan always saw the good in people, even when he himself was a monster. Gohan always gave him the benefit to be a good person, and a good person he became.
This was his moment, the moment where he could go on hurting this man in twisted ways, he could sit for hours listening but nothing of the screams of a creature wanting to die, and in the deepness of his heart, he wanted nothing more then to do just that. He wanted this Tomack to truly pay for all that he had done.
His memories floated back to a five year old Gohan, looking up at him with an admiration that he never experienced before. No one ever looked at Piccolo like that. No one ever thought of him other then a monster. Gohan never saw him like that, his Gohan always saw the good in him.
Sighing softly to himself, Piccolo released his foot from Tomack's face. Tomack took in a deep breath, blood spiting up from his mouth, as he rolled over and coughed. Piccolo looked down on the crippled being in front of him, "Nothing more would satisfy me more then to watch you suffer under my foot," Piccolo took a glance at his former student, "But I know deep down, he would hate me for that," Piccolo's eyes darted back to the broken creature on the floor, "So I will give you a moment to pray to the Gods."
Through the bloody wrench of a face, Tomack's facial features were forever damaged; there would not be any last words for this man. Yet, his eyes, they were wild with emotion, almost pleasure as his eyes darted over to Gohan. The look in those eyes recoiled Piccolo instantly.
Gohan had caught a glimpse of those eyes from a distance; Piccolo didn't allow this to go on any further.
The energy blast that incinerated Tomack's face only took a moment in time, but seeing those eyes on Gohan, felt like eternity.
AJ didn't realize how out casted she truly was.
Hazuki had warned her that fighting today was a mistake, if only she had a better plan! Now Hazuki was dead, and she knew she wasn't going to last long.
Weller although he was heavy, he was fast; he was able to break down all her defenses with speed that she wasn't able to understand. She had spent her life training with Hazuki, she felt the power she had, and knew by each blast Weller imposed on her, she was actually stronger then him. Yet, his experience and speed outshined her raw power.
Hazuki always went easy on her when they trained, and she wished more then anything he had given her a harder time.
Weller punched her, sending AJ flying towards the ground. Slowly getting up, AJ looked at Weller I just have to get in one good attack and I can beat him, think AJ, think!
Weller jumped on top of her, bringing his fist back, he landed a solid punch against her face, and then he hit her again, and again. She put up her hands to try to block the punches, but Weller would push her hands away before hitting her again.
AJ grunted against the pain Wait for an opening, just wait. AJ pulled her arms in front of her, and Weller would push her hands away before punching her again. Then, in a blink of an eye, she saw her opening, he had just pushed her hands away, and he brought back his fist ready to punch her again, but he left his whole chest and face wide open.
Now! She screamed at herself, bringing both of her hands in front of her, AJ searched inside of her for an attack. She had never used her power in this way, she always had her power flowing inside of her, moving along with her finger tips, allowing to feel the warmth she felt when she danced next to her mother.
She remembered her moves; she remembered her energy circling around her when she released her power. She was unlike the men on the battlefield; her full power was easy to access without the need to power up. She spent her life tapping into her power at an instant.
She reached into that power, pushed it through her palms, and she felt the wave. She felt the way all her power left her body, charging head first into Weller's face. He tried to back away in time, but he had left himself wide open to the attack.
His screamed pierced her ears as the blast hit him directly, sending him backwards into the sky. She watched as the attack hit him directly, his body limply fell to the ground.
AJ stood up, whipping the side of her face as she walked over to Weller. His chest and face were completely burnt, she didn't have to see his face to realize it, and the small of burnt skin hung around the air, chocking her. She covered her mouth, walking closer to the man.
He appeared to be dead, she sighed in relief.
Without warning, without her even realizing what was happening, Weller's hand lifted, it shook wildly as he fired another blast towards her. She watched the blast fly towards her, she had used all her power for that attack, there was not way she could deflect or move away in time.
She felt the heat of the blast come towards her. She closed her eyes, expecting the blast to hit her head on.
Instead something pushed her, hard, causing her to slide against the ground. She looked up to see what was happening, to see a man with golden hair and turquoise eyes just like Gohan's. He looked down at her, "Are you okay?"
AJ nodded, "Yes, just used all up my energy in that attack."
The golden man smiled down at her, "Thank you, but don't worry about him, I'll finish him."
The stranger formed a single energy blast and shot it towards Weller. She heard him cry out in pain as the blast destroyed his body, and suddenly even his smell left this world.
Her eyes didn't leave from the spot that Weller was standing just moments ago. Suddenly, hands were on her, she looked up, ready to attack, but her body relaxed when she realized it was the man that saved her.
"Hey, what's your name?" He asked, putting one hand on her back and the other on her arm, pulling her up to her feet.
"AJ," she answered, brushing the dirt off her, "Thank you for saving me."
"No problem, but I must ask you, how do you know my son?"
"Your son?" AJ blinked, looking the man up and down. She had thought that when she first laid eyes on the man, he looked like an older version of Gohan. She had so many questions, but she knew this was not the time to ask, "He's my body guard."
"Okay, so you aren't the enemy. Good to know." Gokuu gave her a kind, warm smile, "I'm sorry but I have to go help my son, can you take care of yourself?"
AJ nodded, her eyes wide as she watched the man let her go, and in an instant he was gone.
As the three battles raged on all around Gohan, he paid no attention to them. He had waited all his life for this moment, the monster in front of him had taken everything away from him, and now here they were.
Vanlash was outclassed.
It was his saiyan abilities that got Gohan as far as it did. After each war, each beating, after being left bloody on the floor days on in, they would throw him into a healing tank thinking nothing of it. Yet, what Vanlash didn't know about saiyans that each time they recovered from a serious injury, their power would increase.
There had been so many times he had been left for dead, too many to count.
The collar had blocked the level of his ki away from them; it had blocked his ki away from himself as well. Gohan didn't even know that he had achieved this kind of power.
It was gut-wrenching satisfying, to know that the very thing that created this would be the very thing to destroy him.
In a blink of an eye, Gohan was in front of Vanlash, he didn't attack the man, he didn't move, he only stared. He stared at Vanlash with unmoving eyes.
Vanlash threw a punch towards Gohan; the teenager caught the punch in the palm of his hand. The teenager didn't move his eyes away from Vanlash; it was as if catching that punch meant nothing to him. Vanlash recoiled in rage, screaming, he used his free hand to punch Gohan, in which Gohan grabbed his other hand.
Holding onto Vanlash's hands, Gohan jumped into the air, bringing his feet forward he kicked Vanlash in the chest, letting go of his hands and Vanlash fell on the ground in front of him.
The kick knocked all the air out of Vanlash. Coughing, Vanlash slowly started to stand up, "You… brat."
In a blink of an eye, Gohan was behind Vanlash, and before the space pirate had the chance to do anything, Gohan reached up and grabbed Vanlash by the back of his hair, pulling him down towards the ground. Vanlash screamed at the touch, bringing his hands to the back of his head, trying to get Gohan to release his grip. Instead, the saiyan tighten his grip in the back of his head, "How does it feel now, Vanlash?" Gohan whispered, "How does it feel to be dragged by the back of your hair?"
"You stupid boy," Vanlash hissed, "Let me go."
Letting go of Vanlash, he instantly kicked him in the back of he head, causing the leader to crash face first into the ground. Vanlash slowly started to get up, but Gohan grabbed a fist full of hair, pulling Vanlash's head up, "You use to carry me like this, but because of that collar I was never able to do anything about it, now how do you feel Vanlash? I can control you without any help."
Taking that ball fist of hair, Gohan yanked it out of Vanlash's head. Vanlash screamed, bringing his hands up to the now bald spot on the back of his head, feeling the blood wheezing out of between his fingers. Gohan let go of the hair, rubbing his hand against his pants. He took that moment to look up, his father had just finished killing Rexter.
Good Gohan thought to himself, although he wished he had the chance to end her himself.
Eyes glancing back at Vanlash, Gohan reached over and grabbed onto one of Vanlash's hand, pulling it back behind him, Gohan looked at his fingers, "I had a lot of broken fingers, I remember you laughing," Gohan lightly touched his pinky finger, before bending it backwards.
"Stop it," Vanlash growled, taking his free hand off his head and forming an energy blast at Gohan. Gohan let the blast hit him; Vanlash had no effect on him anymore. Gohan lightly touched his ring finger, rubbing the inside of his finger softly, then in an instant grabbed ahold of that finger and bent it backwards.
Another scream escaped Vanlash, and Gohan smirked, it was music to his ears hearing the scream. Another blast hit Gohan's face, this blast weaker then the last. It didn't bother Gohan, they couldn't affect him anymore.
Gohan brought his foot to the back of Vanlash's back, forcing Vanlash to fall face first back into the ground. Gohan put pressure against his back, holding onto his hand, Gohan lightly touched Vanlash's middle finger.
"Just do it already," Vanlash whispered, "Just kill me and get it over with."
Gohan had considered that, he could easily kill this monster and be done with him for good. It was a welcoming thought, to never have to look behind his shoulder, to never have to wonder if Vanlash was behind the shadows. It would be a relief, to witness this creature's death.
Gohan's eyes darted away and were caught by Tomack's bloody eyes. It looked like Tomack was at the end of his life, Gohan could see that there wasn't much left of him. Yet, those eyes, those eyes were piercing right through his soul. Tomack was always the one who volunteered to each him a lesson.
Gohan brought his hand to his mouth, letting go of Vanlash. He wanted to throw up; he wanted to get rid of those eyes, those cold, familiar, self-indulgencing eyes that always stared at Gohan in his beaten, wrenched body for all those years with a chilling hunger. Tomack always made sure to get his taste.
He felt Vanlash stand up, and his eyes darted back at the creature that stole him away from his innocence.
No, he wasn't just going to kill him.
He was going to make him suffer.
Gohan moved in speeds that he didn't realize he had, he grabbed onto Vanlash's broken hand, putting his middle finger into his mouth. He made sure to feel the finger against his tongue, before he bit down, hard, hard enough to hear his teeth clatter together. Vanlash screamed, pulling his hand away.
Leaving his finger behind.
Gohan spit out the finger, whipping the blood away from his mouth.
Vanlash looked at his deformed hand, two fingers broke and one completely off, he looked at Gohan in horror, eyes widen in panic. He backed away slowly, "Get away from me!"
Gohan didn't respond, he continued to walk forward as Vanlash tried to run back. Tripping over himself, Vanlash landed on the ground, and by the time he had a chance to look up, Gohan was standing above him.
Gohan bent down, snatching Vanlash's broken hand, staring at his index finger. He took his finger, rubbing the inside of Vanlash's finger with the tip of his fingertips. Gohan let himself feel the unbroken skin. He felt Vanlash shaking from under his hand.
He grabbed onto the index finger, pulling it backwards.
Vanlash screamed. He stood up, taking his free hand and punching Gohan across the face. Gohan didn't react, his eyes continuing to stare at the damaged hand. How easy he was to break.
Gohan moved his hand down to Vanlash's wrist, and in one motion pulled it backwards. Vanlash hissed, he cussed; he bent down to one knee, closing his eyes to the pain.
He was going to kill him slowly, and painfully, and make him regret the moment he took Gohan away.
Gohan kicked Vanlash across the face, hard, causing the monster to fall over backwards, landing on his stomach. Still holding on to his deformed hand, Gohan placed his foot against Vanlash's lower spine. Gohan pressed his foot into it, hearing a crack. Vanlash screamed, his legs that were once tight from under him became limp.
Gohan let go of his hand and reached for Vanlash's hair, pulling him up, Gohan whispered in his ear, "I want you to remember this pain, Vanlash.."
Gohan let go of Vanlash, his head falling back into the ground. Vanlash tried to move, but his feet were not moving, "My legs, I can't feel my legs!"
Gohan moved his foot to the middle of Vanlash's spine, lightly pressing his toe into his back. Gohan put pressure onto his back, and suddenly all the feeling in his chest down faded away. He was paralyzed beyond repair.
He wanted to do more; he wanted to make sure that Vanlash suffered, cried out in pain, begging for his life to end like so many times he wished he could have his life end. All the years of pain he suffered through, all the hate he had bottled up inside was so overwhelming that Gohan lost himself in it.
Gohan had always wondered what his emotions would be when he was freed from the collar.
He had feared that all he would feel was anger and hate.
And he was right.
Gohan felt three pair of eyes on him instead of seven; he knew that the rest of the crew had been taken care of, and that the others were staring at him. He didn't care. His problems with Vanlash were painfully personal, and he would make sure he would follow through with destroying this thing from the universe.
Gohan reached forward, grabbing Vanlash's beaten hand; the only thing left was the thumb. He would make that thumb his; he took his free hand and softly rubbed the inside of the thumb. He wanted Vanlash to feel that thumb, make sure he was well aware that it was the next thing that he would destroy.
"If you had given me a chance on back then," Gohan looked at the thumb, rubbing his fingers up and down the soft skin, "None of this would have happened, I could have destroyed you. You played dirty, Vanlash, that's the only reason you kept me for so long."
Gohan and Vanlash, they were the only two people in the world as far as the teenager was considered. Gohan watched that thumb, feeling it with his fingers, he wanted to remember this moment, he took his time feeling Vanlash, "THERE IS NO PEACE FOR YOU!" Gohan snapped his thump in one quick motion.
Vanlash screamed, he let out a hollow cry. He used his one free hand to try to push himself away from Gohan, but it was no use. Gohan had him totally under his control.
He felt a smile creep on his lips, in so many years the boy went on without smiling, they had taken everything away from him. Now, after so long, was he finally able to give them a small taste of everything he had experience.
The collar took away the ability to react, he wasn't sure if he should pity or find satisfaction in the fact that Vanlash could experience his emotions.
A hand landed on Gohan's shoulders, the feeling both felt foreign and familiar. His eyes darted over to the man that had appeared in his dream; a mixture of orange, blue, and gold. Although this man always had black hair in his dreams, he realized what it meant to see golden hair and turquoise eyes. This man was like him; this man was a super saiyan.
This was his father.
"Son," the words rung into Gohan's ears with a familiar song, one that he had heard in his dreams, "You don't have to do this. You can stop this."
The idea sounded absorbed, the demi-saiyan shook his head at the thought, "No, how could I let him get away with everything he has done…"
"You aren't letting him get away with it," his father countered, "But you don't need to resort to this."
Gokuu couldn't help but to let his mind wander back to the Cell Games, he had seen his son react in this way against Cell. When everyone had begged Gohan to kill Cell, Gohan denied the notion, wanting the monster to suffer for all the pain he had caused. It felt like that day was being repeated now. Vanlash deserved death, Gokuu didn't deny that, but this kind of pain, seeking this kind of vengeance, would only destroy Gohan.
Seeking revenge only prove that he was truly was the boy with hollow eyes.
So he had to stop him from torturing Vanlash. As much as Gokuu wanted Vanlash to truly pay for all that he had done and everything he had done to hurt their family, letting Gohan kill this monster would only awake then true monster within his son.
There was no turning back from that.
"I want him to feel pain," A snare came out of Gohan's mouth that his father had never heard before, it sounded twisted, dirty, and not the voice he ever knew from his son, "He doesn't deserve peace."
"Will it make you feel better?" Piccolo stepped in, walking next to Gokuu, "This might feel like the right thing, but it won't make you feel any better, Gohan."
Gohan stared at the Namek before him. Although it had been years since he had seen this alien, his presence felt familiar.
Vanlash had taken so many things away from Gohan. It had taken away his memories, his ability to feel, and the power that had always been deep inside of him. This monster had stolen everything from him.
And now these two were telling him to let it go, to give Vanlash a peaceful death. It felt wrong. How was that fair?
"No," words fell from Gohan's voice without him realizing it, as he moved his shoulder away from his father's grip, "He has to suffer. He has to pay." Gohan glanced down at Vanlash lying on the ground. The monster was staring at him with an expression that Gohan couldn't read. It was filled with anger, but there was something more too it.
Was it defeat?
"This isn't right," his father spoke; he didn't try to reach for his shoulder again, "What you are doing to him isn't right."
The former slave laughed, throwing his neck back in a hardy laugh. It felt unfitting to Gohan, to laugh at a moment such as this, "When has this been about doing the right thing? None of this has ever been right."
"I know," Gokuu sighed, without thinking about it, he reached for Gohan's hand, holding his hand tight, "You need to be the better man, son. End this quickly; allowing this to go on will only cause more grief. Haven't you been through enough?"
Gohan had thought about this, he considered his father's words for just a moment, but a loud laugh interrupted the conversation. Both Gohan and Gokuu looked down to see Vanlash laughing at them.
"You think this boy is capable of feelings," Vanlash spit out the words, before throwing his neck back in a heartfelt laughed, "He has only knows how to hate. Do you think my pet is worth more then that? I have raised him, taught him what it means to be a warrior. This is all he knows."
"SHUT UP!" Gohan screamed, forming an energy blast in the palm of his hands. How dare this man talk about him in this way, Vanlash didn't know anything about him. He wanted to make this man burn.
He felt the power forming in the palm of his hand. He felt the eyes of his father and the Namek as he raised his power level, he was going to make this man burn, he was going to make Vanlash burn.
He felt his arm moving forward, he felt the energy in the palm of his hand, but before he was able to release his energy a familiar blur threw themselves on top of Vanlash.
A mixture of brown hair, pale skin, and big brown eyes appeared in front of him
Gohan had remembered long ago when he first looked at the woman before him, that she had looked like any other female in the universe. Brown hair and brown eyes were a common trait in the universe, if he had seen her in a crowd filled of people, he would have never thought anything of her.
Seeing her body against Vanlash's at this moment, made Gohan instantly drop his attack.
AJ looked up at Gohan with pleading eyes, "They're right," she whispered to him, "Gohan, you can't do this."
Vanlash continued to laugh, his eyes darting up to AJ, "Can't get enough of me girl?"
"Don't listen to him, Gohan" AJ closed her eyes, her body wanting to pull away from being so close to Vanlash, but she didn't allow herself to fall weak, "If you keep doing this, you won't be the person I know you can be."
"You foolish girl," Vanlash hissed, "What makes you think he is capable of anything but destruction."
"Gohan," her eyes looked up at her bodyguard, and she tried her best to look up at the boy in front of her with as much compassion as she could muster. She had seen the person she knew that Gohan could be, she wouldn't let him lose that, "I shouldn't have put you in this position and I am sorry that I did. You don't have to kill anyone anymore, Gohan."
She didn't give the chance for Gohan to respond, she placed her palm against the back of Vanlash's head, "I am going to carry the burden of killing you, Vanlash," she locked into her energy, finding a little bit left. She used her ki and focused it on the center of Vanlash's head.
AJ had never killed anyone. As a Princess she never had to experience the likes of battle before. Yet, she would carry this weight for the man she loved. The blast went though Vanlash's head; killing him so quickly that she didn't realize what she had done at first. The blast had jerked her body forward, making her stand up above the body. She felt the heat of her blast leave the palm of her hand. It burned. Killing Vanlash took the rest of the energy she had, AJ's eyes were able to glance up at Gohan for just a moment, eyes filled with sorrow and victory, before her eyes closed and she passed out, her body landing on top of Vanlash.
It was over.
"NOOOOOOOO," a scream escaped Gohan's voice. He felt his body give from under him, and if it weren't for his father catching up, Gohan would have fallen completely. He stayed in his father grasp, tears running down his fast as he looked at the dead man before him.
He had felt cheated; she had taken away his only chance at redemption. She took away the dream he had been holding onto for so long. Vanlash was supposed to die by his hand and his hand alone.
His eyes darted up at her, and he hiss in rage, trying to get out of his father's grasp, he screamed at her, "HOW COULD YOU? WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?" He wanted to get out of the full saiyan's grasp; he wanted to charge at her with everything he had.
He wanted to destroy her.
Instead he felt his body go limp at the thought of killing her, his head bowing down in front of her, and letting his tears fall from his face. He felt his father catch him before hitting the ground. Strong warms wrapped around his shaking form, it was a comfort he did not deserve.
He had wondered what would have happened if he had the collar off and he was finally free. He had wondered what his emotions would be the moment he was able to feel again.
There was nothing left of his former life.
Yet all that Gohan could feel was anger and hate.
He let his tears fall down his face, because no matter what the end of this story would be.
He was doomed.
Through his hazy tears, Gohan's eyes landed on Hazuki, his dead form only a few feet away from him. Hazuki had died protecting the Princess; he died in a selfless act.
Think about someone other then yourself.
He felt Hazuki's words wrap around his throat. He never thought he was a selfish being, but he had to be. To want to make Vanlash suffer, he was slowly starting to become the thing he hated. It didn't matter who was around him, it didn't matter what would happen, he wanted his former master to cry out his name in pain.
AJ saved him from that by killing Vanlash in his place.
Taking a long, deep breath and wiping the tears away from his eyes, finding his footing, Gohan stood up, slowly, Gokuu guided Gohan's body up. He glanced over at the man, who had dropped his transformation without him noticing. He looked like the man from his dreams, a mixture of blue, orange, and black. He had felt something build in his heart he hadn't expected by looking at the man.
It felt like home.
"I'm sorry," the man of his dreams said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you, Gohan."
The man pulled Gohan into a hug. The warm feeling inside is heart started to grow in a way he never thought he could. This feeling, it was the feeling he had been searching his life for.
These arms around him were full of love and forgiveness.
"But you did," Gohan closed his eyes, "You did save me, father."
As soon as father and son parted ways, a large green hand landed on his shoulder. Gohan turned around to face the Namek in front of him. Green and purple, he had remembered those colors, and although he never saw them in his dreams, they were always there.
"Do you remember?" Piccolo asked, "It's okay if you don't."
"Piccolo-san," The name came out of Gohan's mouth before he gave the Namek a small smile, "Of course I remember you."
Teacher and student shared their small smiles with one another.
"We should take the girl back to her home," Gokuu glanced at the fallen girl on top of Vanlash, "She literally used up all her energy, I hope she is okay."
Gohan's eyes widen, remembering AJ, he ran to her, "AJ!"
He kneeled next to her body, picking her up instantly and turning back towards his father and teacher. A part of him wanted to glance back at Vanlash, to see that monster defeated by him and the people who loved him, but tending to AJ was more important, "Can one of you get the man with the short white hair, he was… With us."
"Sure kid," Piccolo nodded, walking over towards the fallen bodyguard.
Gokuu turned to Gohan, "There are so many things I want to know about your life, son."
Gohan nodded, holding AJ a little closer to his body, "I know, but I need to take care of the Princess first."
Piccolo returned with Hazuki in hand, and the five of them took off to the skies.
It was a new day.
AJ woke up with a jerk, her body yanking her forward.
Eyes frantically looking around her, she had noticed that she was back in her room. In confusion, she rolled herself out of bed, instantly feeling weak as she stood. She looked down at her clothes, someone had changed her into PJs, and she had to guess it was Eva.
Her eyes jerked forward, Oh no, Gohan!
She ran towards her door, opening it as quickly as she could.
Yet a body fell backwards into her, and she tripped over it.
"Ouch," a voice came from under her, "Princess please be more careful."
She looked down to catch Gohan's eyes looking up at her.
She stared into them, ignoring the fact that she was a Princess, and her limps were wrapped around her personal bodyguard. She couldn't stop looking into his eyes.
Something had changed in them. His eyes felt lighter, gentle; they still held the same pain they always did.
But even she could see the weight lifted from his eyes.
"Are you okay?" AJ asked, moving away from Gohan as she stood up, "What are you doing outside my door?"
Gohan stood up as well, dusting off his clothes, "I'm your bodyguard, remember? I was protecting you, and," Gohan reached out and lightly touched the side of AJ's face, "I wanted to see you."
AJ smiled, leaning her face into Gohan's hand, "I'm glad to see you too."
"There is a lot I need to talk to you about, AJ, do you mind taking a walk with me?"
AJ nodded, taking a step around Gohan as she started to make her way down the hall. Gohan closed her door behind her and followed her. They didn't need words with one another as they walked down the hallway; they both knew where they were heading too.
The garden had been beautiful, throughout all the hardships in their lives, being in this place made them forget about the ugliness for just a moment. It was the place that Gohan first saw her dance, the place they had trained together.
The place they realized they loved one another.
"Who were those people that showed up? Was one of them your dad?" AJ asked, as she turned to face her bodyguard.
Gohan nodded, "Yes, he had told me that he has been searching for me ever since I was taken. Apparently my collar blocked my ki, so he was never able to find me. The other green guy is my old teacher, Piccolo-san."
AJ smiled, "They must mean a lot to you, that they were able to come all the way here to help us against Vanlash and his crew."
Gohan looked away, "All that time I spent with Vanlash, I sort of forgot my old life. Little bits come back here and there, but I am not sure if it's because of the collar or just repressing my memories, but I feel bad that I don't really remember them all too well."
"I'm sure it will take time," suddenly a realization hit AJ, it was so sudden that she wasn't sure how she was still standing at the mere thought of it. In fact, she wasn't sure why she never thought about it before; she had always known that Gohan was taken by Vanlash. Of course he had a home with people that had been missing him, suddenly, she felt like she was going to throw up. How could she keep Gohan away from his home?
She looked back into Gohan's eyes, a tear running down her cheek, "I'm sorry Gohan, I don't know why I never," she felt more tears falling down her face, she brought her hands to her face, trying to control her tears, "I should have never kept you here. You had a home, you had people looking for you, yet I kept you like a selfish child."
"Stop it," Gohan grabbed onto her arms, rubbing his hands against her arms, trying to comfort her, "You and your father gave me my freedom. If it wasn't for you, I would still be with them."
AJ looked up at Gohan, his eyes were gentle as he looked at her, she controlled herself, standing straighter, "I'm not going to keep you anymore, you have to go back home."
Gohan expression was one that AJ couldn't read. She felt his body tense up, his fingers lightly digging into his skin. He stared at her, mouth slightly open, eyes wide. She wasn't sure if those eyes had a mixture of rejection in them.
Or relief.
"This is the hardest thing that I ever had to do, but," Gohan lowered his head slightly, his hands gripping around AJ's arms, "But I have to go."
AJ nodded, "I know, I know you have to go."
The stood in silence for just a moment, lost in their thoughts. Now their time was numbered, they only had so many moments together before they would be gone for good. AJ knew in the deep of her heart that once Gohan left, he would leave for good. There would be no sense in him coming back, and she couldn't leave her Kingdom behind. After all the damage her father had done with Vanlash, there was so much work ahead of her. She had to rebuild her Kingdom.
This was really going to end.
As if their bodies were on the same wavelength, they reached out to one another, wrapping their arms around each other. AJ felt Gohan's strong body against her, and she closed her eyes in the moment, letting the feeling and the smell of her bodyguard overcome her. She didn't know how she could go on without him.
"Hazuki," AJ breathed out, and suddenly she found tears in her eyes, "I can't believe lost him, and I am about to lose you."
Gohan sighed, pulling her back slightly, "That is why I wanted to talk to you, actually. You have to keep this between us, I talked to my father already and he left to search for them.
"Search for what? What do you mean?" AJ asked, titling her head slightly to the side.
"My planet has seven magical Dragonballs, when you gather all seven a dragon appears and you can make a wish. So, my dad is going to make a wish to the dragon to bring Hazuki back to life."
AJ didn't know how to process this, she felt her eyes widening, and the sides of her lips curving up into a smile. Hazuki wasn't going to be gone? "What, how?" She didn't know how to process this.
"My father doesn't want the Dragonballs to be public knowledge, if people knew about them, it would bring a lot of enemies to our world. It could cause a lot of problems, so we can't let anyone know that Hazuki died. My father took his body with him to Earth, so when he gets brought back to life he will bring him back here. It might take them a few days to gather all the balls, so I figured when Hazuki comes back, I can…"
"…Go," AJ finished his thought.
He nodded.
They stood in each other's thoughts for a moment.
"The King wanted to see you when you woke up, did you want me to take you to him?" Gohan asked.
AJ nodded, "Okay."
They walked away from the garden.
"AJ!" A voice broke AJ from her train of thought, looking up, she saw Eva running towards her.
Gohan stepped slightly away, allowing enough room for Eva to throw her arms around AJ, "Hazuki told me what you guys were planning, and I was so worried when you came back hurt. Are you okay?"
AJ smiled at her friend, "I'm fine, Eva, I'm sorry to make you worry."
Eva looked over at Gohan, "Did you hear anything from Hazuki?"
AJ's eyes shot up, glancing at Gohan. Gohan nodded his head, "Yes he's helping my father and Piccolo-san get rid of Vanlash's ship and their remains."
AJ eyes landed on Gohan. She knew the truth about where Hazuki was at, and although she hated lying to Eva, she would keep Gohan's secret.
Eva jumped back from AJ, brushing her clothes and bowing her head slightly towards AJ, "I'm sorry for the sudden reaction my Princess."
AJ rolled her eyes, laughing, and brought Eva in for another hug, "You don't ever have to apologize for hugging me, Eva."
The presence of her father's office door hit her quickly, her eyes darting up at the plain door. Her eyes glanced back at Gohan, almost pleading him to join her. Instead, he offered her a warm smile.
AJ turned back towards the door, stepping out of Eva's hug. She looked back at her assistant and bodyguard, "Wait for me?"
Both nodded, and that alone gave her the strength to walk inside.
AJ didn't bother knocking on the door as she entered the room. Closing it softly behind her.
Her eyes fell on her father, who was sitting on his desk, his face in his hands. If AJ didn't know any better, she thought she caught her father crying. All the years she had been alive, she never saw her father cry. Not even at the funeral of her mother. All her life, she had been told to hold her composer, to not show any weakness.
Royalty doesn't have time for such things.
Yet, now, her father was crying at his desk, alone in a dark room.
It broke her heart.
"Dad?" AJ found her voice, feeling his weight in the room as it escaped her lips.
Her father looked up, not realizing he was no longer alone. He stood up, whipped his eyes, "I'm glad you are okay."
"You don't have to do that, you know," AJ sighed, looking towards the floor, "You don't have to hide from me."
Arms wrapped around her so suddenly that her body tightened at the touch, yet, hearing her father's soft cries, she let her body loosen, wrapping her arms around her father, "Its over. It's finally over."
"I was so worries," the king whispered, "I was so worried I was going to lose you. When Gohan brought you back, and you were in his arms, I thought… I thought…"
"It's fine, it's fine," AJ comforted her father, "I'm fine."
Her father pulled back, looking at his only daughter with a sad smile and soft eyes. AJ felt like maybe this was the first time her father had finally seen her, "You will be a much better ruler then I could ever be."
"Don't say—"
"No, it's true. You wouldn't have let Vanlash control you the way he had controlled me. You have always been stronger then me, and I know you will lead our people in the right direction. That is why I think you're ready."
AJ felt her heart leap out of her chest; it was all her could hear. Was her father really saying what she thought he was saying? "Dad…"
"Its time for you to take the crown and become Queen."
When AJ walked out of her father's office, she felt like she was a different person. She felt herself grow taller, more confidant, and ready for the new responsibility. She looked at Gohan and Eva who were standing outside the door, both of them blinking at her sudden change of attitude.
"I'm going to be Queen."
Both of their faces lite up in pure joy. Eva screamed in delight, throwing her arms around AJ, she jumped up and down, "I have been waiting for this day for so long! I can't believe it!"
"We have a lot to do," AJ put her arm around Eva, pulling her along, "The King is going to make the announcement later today, and we only have a few days to plan."
"I hope Hazuki will be back in time for watch your receive the crown," Eva smiled.
AJ nodded, looking behind her shoulder at Gohan. He had a faraway look in his eyes.
When Hazuki comes back, it means that Gohan will leave.
Forever.
The next few days were busy, so busy that AJ and Gohan didn't have a moment to talk. With AJ's coronation, the castle was busy with preparations.
Gohan could understand how busy AJ was going to be now that she was going to be Queen, and in truth he was a little relieved about it. She had a whole new life ahead of her now.
One without him.
He was a little nervous to go back home, he had his own life to get back too. As the days went by as Gohan standing by AJ's side, he had come to realize that he didn't belong in this place. He had tried to make it work, he tried to be there next to AJ and be the bodyguard and friend that he wanted to be.
Yet Gohan knew a part of his soul was always missing. He didn't realize the missing piece until he saw his father.
Now, he waited as patiently as he could for his father and Hazuki to come back. Once he knew that AJ would be in good hands.
He could leave.
AJ must have felt this, in the one moment they had been alone, AJ reached for his hand, "Soon," she encouraged him, "Soon."
He tighten his grip around her hand, he was going to miss her.
The day that Hazuki and Gokuu appeared in front of Gohan was the moment he finally felt complete.
The man of his dreams, his father, was finally here to collect him.
Hazuki walked up to Gohan, reaching out his hand, "Your old man told me what happened. Thank you for watching the Princess."
Gohan took his hand, "You should be thanking her, not me. She is the one who killed Vanlash."
Hazuki smiled, "I take it that you'll be going back?"
Gohan nodded.
"Your world is a beautiful one," Hazuki withdrew his hand, "I didn't see much of it, though."
"Please make sure to take care of AJ for me," Gohan asked, "She is going to be needing more protection as the Queen."
Hazuki eyes widen, "What? She's going to be Queen?"
Gohan nodded, "She is talking to her father right now, but I know she will be happy to see you once—"
"HAZUKI!" A voice called down the hall.
Hazuki and Gohan brought their eyes to the voice, seeing AJ and Eva yelling out his name, running towards them.
Hazuki turned away from Gohan, and ran towards the girls.
As AJ, Eva, and Hazuki reunited, Gohan's eyes looked up at his father. He couldn't help but to smile at the man, who was giving him a wide grin in return. Gohan took a step towards his father, "Thank you for bringing him back."
Gokuu nodded, "Of course son, any friend of yours is a friend of mine."
Gokuu walked up to his son, placing his hand against his shoulder, "Are you ready to go home?"
Gohan nodded softly, his eyes darting over to AJ, who was looking right back at him. He knew this time would come, but the idea of leaving felt like a dagger in the heart, "Just give me a moment."
Gokuu nodded, letting go of his son's shoulder and stepping to the side.
The four friends made their way to each other. They knew this was the moment for goodbye.
Eva was the first to give Gohan a tight hug, "I wish you could stay to watch AJ be crowned as Queen."
"Me too," he answered back, "But please watch after her for me."
Eva pulled back, smiling lightly at the boy, "Oh I will."
"Hey Gohan," the saiyan darted his eyes towards Hazuki, who offered his hand, "The thing I said to you before, I didn't mean it."
"No," Gohan shook his head, "You were right, I am selfish. This whole time, I was more worried about my feelings and my past to be able to really face all the problems I have. I am going to change. I am going to go back to my world and use what I have for good instead of evil."
Gohan reached out and took Hazuki's hand, "So thank you, and please, keep AJ safe for me."
Hazuki smirked, pulling Gohan forward, slapping the boy clear across the back, "I hope you finally lighten up."
Gohan smiled, but his smile faded when his eyes darted over to AJ.
Eva and Hazuki seem to disappear, leaving the future Queen and her former bodyguard alone. They stood, staring at one another, knowing this day will come but to have it come this sudden made Gohan hesitate for just a moment.
This was going to be the hardest thing he ever had to do.
The woman in front of him was the whole reason he was freed from Vanlash, the reason she gave him hope to live, to change and be a better person, to be loved and feel love, and in his darkest moment, was able to save him from himself.
"I never thanked you," Suddenly Gohan's words were small in his throat, much like how he felt when she first took the collar off him, "If it wasn't for you… Killing him, I don't know if I could have—"
AJ took a step towards him, bringing her finger to his mouth, silencing him, "It's done, and he has no right to be in our lives anymore. I don't want to talk about him anymore."
Gohan nodded his head in agreement; he lifted his arms, circling them around her waist. She felt her arms wrap around his neck. Their bodies, they fit together perfectly, each piece knew where to fit perfectly into one another. Gohan never knew that he could fit right into someone like he fit with AJ.
He felt a tear fall down his cheek; he let the single tear fall. He wanted to experience this feeling of goodbye.
Gohan had wondered what would happen if he were free from the collar. He wondered what emotions he would experience.
Hate and anger were easy to feel.
To open himself to AJ, to allow someone to love him as much as he loved her, that was the hard thing to do.
He never thought he would feel love again.
They parted a little ways away, and without words, they leaned into a kiss. Their kiss consumed them; spoke the things to one another that words could never describe. It was the only way they could say goodbye.
They didn't know who broke from the kiss first, which one of them separated their bodies from one another. Either one did not even know who was the first to turn away.
AJ walked towards her Kingdom, her future as Queen.
Gohan walked back home, to his family.
Queen Azura Jun was given the crown two days after Gohan parted.
Her first order as Queen was to take the other planets under her rule, and giving them back to the universe. The planets had lost their inhabitants from the hands of "The Boy with the Hollow Eyes" years ago, and the Queen left those un-ruled planets behind. They floated in the universe as silent reminders of the lives lost due to evil.
The Queen ran her world with compassion and love, and her name ran through the Kingdom as "The Queen for the People." Her people under her ruling never understood war, hunger or disease. She ran the world independently from foreign forces, and for the rest of her days, she lives in peace and happiness.
The Queen had found a family of her own years later, baring a son who would one day take her place as the King of their world.
And although AJ had a happy life, her mind would wonder back in time, to a quiet boy with a heavy collar, and think of what ifs.
Gohan didn't realize that it only took a moment in time to have his life change completely.
He should have known, it was only an instance when the collar was wrapped around his neck.
It was a single second when AJ released the collar from his neck.
This time, it was a blink, and he was home.
The little house in the middle of the forest felt surreal. He looked at this little piece in this tiny world and couldn't help to notice how quiet it was. He could hear the wind, the trees, the animals, and the people in the house.
A strong hand landed on his shoulder, Gohan looked up to see his father with understanding eyes, "Are you ready?"
Gohan looked back into the house, through the window he saw a woman, with tight black hair pulled back into a bun, large eyes, and a small gentle frame. It was the woman of his dreams… His mother. How he had seen her in his dreams for so long, she was the first thing he had remembered about this place.
She looked up and caught his eyes. Her mouth starting to open, dropping the thing she had in her hands, the saiyan could hear the shatter of the glass from outside the house. She darted out of view; Gohan could hear her footsteps rushing towards the door.
The door busted open, and his mother stood at the frame, "Is this real Gokuu? Is this a dream? Did you really bring my baby back?"
"Go say hello to your mother, Gohan," Gokuu gently pushed the boy forward, "She has been waiting for you for so long."
Gohan had always remembered his dreams about his mother. In the dreams, she would reach out and want to touch him, but it was always the Tomack in his dreams that robbed her of that chance. Now, after so long, Gohan knew that this was no longer a dream.
He could touch his mother.
Chi-Chi threw her arms around her son, holding him as tightly as she possibly could, tears starting to stream down her face, "Is this a dream? Gohan, my baby, you're home, you're finally home…"
Gohan wrapped his arms around her as well, "No, this isn't a dream. I'm home."
"Mom, what is going on…" A small voice came from the doorframe.
Gohan eyes darted back to the door way, a small little boy was standing there, one hand on the door frame and the other tightly at his side. Chi-Chi and Gohan pulled back from one another as Gohan blinked down at the child.
This boy was familiar, he looked just like his father but that wasn't the reason for the confusion. He knew he had seen this child before.
"Are you him?" The boy asked, "Are you my brother?"
Suddenly, this small little boy identity hit Gohan. This boy, he was the one that talked to him in his dreams. They had played in the grass together. This boy was the reason he started to have happy dreams.
"Goten told us about how he contacted you," Gokuu walked up to Chi-Chi, putting his arm around his wife, "If it wasn't for that, I would have never found you."
"Goten," Gohan felt the name on his lips, the words hitting him in a familiar way. He has spoken these words long ago. His tongue remembered them.
He looked down at the boy, "Yes, I'm your brother."
Gohan bent down to the child's eye level, "I have to thank you, it's because of you that I was able to find my way home again."
The child didn't know how to respond to that, instead of answering, the boy reached out his hand, touching Gohan's face softly. Gohan watched the child in his curiosity, as he stared into Gohan's eyes, "Your eyes are not green?"
"Not right now, no," was all that Gohan responded.
"The pictures we have of you," Gokuu explained, bending down next to Gohan, "Are of us before the Cell Games, when we stayed in our super saiyan forms."
Gohan nodded, not really remembering but taking his father's word for it, he looked back at the boy. Goten took a step forward, and another, until he put his arms around Gohan's neck, "Brother, I missed playing with you."
Gohan smiled, it felt like a real smile, one that he didn't know he could form again. He put his arms around his little brother, "I missed you too."
Suddenly a mixture of arms were wrapped around Gohan. He felt his family holding him tightly, all different mixture of scents entered his nose, his body felt the warmth of his family around him. This moment, around the people who loved him, was what Gohan had been searching for.
Gohan had always wondered what would happen if he were free from the collar. He wondered what if he would ever be able to feel anything again.
This moment, finally returning home, being with his family made Gohan realize without question.
He could feel again.
THE END
